Target to Only Sell Pride Month Collection at Select Stores Following 2023 Backlash
Target announced that only select stores will sell their Pride Month collection this June following backlash and a boycott last year.
In a statement on its website on Thursday, the company stated that instead of featuring the Pride Month collection in all its stores, it will be “offering a collection of products including adult apparel, home, food, and beverage items, curated based on consumer feedback. The collection will be available on Target.com and in select stores, based on historical sales performance.”
Additionally, Target announced other plans for Pride Month, including being present at local Pride events in Minneapolis — where the organization is headquartered — and across the U.S, ABC News reported.
“Beyond our own teams, we will have a presence at local Pride events in Minneapolis and around the country, and we continue to support a number of LGBTQIA+ organizations,” a company spokesperson said in a statement obtained by ABC News on Friday. “Additionally, we will offer a collection of products for Pride, including adult apparel, home products, food and beverage, which has been curated based on guest insights and consumer research. These items, starting at $3, will be available in select stores and on Target.com.”
During the Pride season last summer, Target faced a backlash and boycott for promoting LGBTQIA+ merchandise at all its stores.
“For more than a decade, Target has offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month,” Target said in May of 2023 in response to the criticism. “Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.”
Despite the reduction of Pride Month merchandise available at retailers this year, Target will continue to support LGBTQIA+ organizations all year round, including the Human Rights Campaign, Family Equality, and more. The company will also highlight LGBTQ-owned brands during Pride Month and throughout the year in its stores and online.
“Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round. Most importantly, we want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ team members, which reflects our culture of care for the over 400,000 people who work at Target,” a company spokesperson told ABC News on Friday. “We have long offered benefits and resources for the community, and we will have internal programs to celebrate Pride 2024.”
Image Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Brandon Bell/Staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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